CBI director Alok Verma on Friday filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, claiming that there is highly incriminating evidence of bribery against special director Rakesh Asthana. He also urged the high court to dismiss Asthana's plea and let the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate the bribery case.

The Delhi High Court is set to hear a plea filed by Asthana and others seeking quashing of First Information Report (FIR) filed against them in a bribery case. The matter will be put forward to hearing at around 2.15 pm on Friday.

Verma has denied all the charges and allegations made against him by Asthana and said that the allegations are nothing but a figment of the imagination of the petitioner.

"Allegations are nothing but the imagination of the petitioner, a petition by Asthana is not maintainable and is misconceived. The investigation is at a nascent stage. Allegations made in the complaint against Asthana and others are very serious and requires thorough probe," Verma had said.

The CBI director said that the allegations of corruption against Asthana, who is holding a very high public office of such a prestigious institution raise serious concern, which is required to be thoroughly investigated without any bias so that public faith in CBI is maintained.

The FIR was registered against Asthana and others after a preliminary inquiry by CBI. The investigating agency filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing Qureshi's case. The case against Kumar and Asthana among others was registered based on a complaint received by Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana on 15 October.